Highschool aka Welcome to the Jungle
by dillpops
Summary: [AU] Raven is hardly happy when she ends up with disgustingly cheerful exchange student Starfire. But when she's landed with her worst enemies in a worst case scenario, what can she do? High school really is a jungle!
1. Chapter One

An AU fic written when inspired by the Cartoon Network TV show. I'm using Tim for Robin since Dick pops up later. Anyway this is an AU of how the Teen Titans somehow fit together in the world of alternate universes. I hope you guys enjoy it. And just a note, I'm from England so imagine the hell it is for me to try and write an american high school ^^;; if there's anything seriously wrong then let me know! All this word switching is hard work! Anyway, first Teen Titans fic, woo!  
  
EVERYONE knows school is a dangerous jungle! You have your different species of teenager, toilets, teachers, everything! So Raven can only hope she survives a worst case scenario she'd never even dreamed possible in her school!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or the characters, situations or anything, this is DC property I guess...but I wrote this story ^^ Welcome to the Jungle is a song by Guns'n'Roses! Please don't sue me!  
  
* * *  
  
DEAR PARENT/GUARDIAN  
  
WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT, SHOULD YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ON AN EXCHANGE STUDENT FOR A WEEK FROM THE BELOW DATE. THE SCHOOL OF YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER WILL CONTACT YOU FURTHER WITH THE DETAILS. PLEASE RETURN THE FORM WITH YOUR SIGNITURE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANKYOU.  
  
Raven read the letter once more and grimaced. An exchange student? Out of the whole school she'd been the lucky one to be selected to host the kid. Raven sighed, she wasn't exactly a people person. At 15 it seemed she was the only sane person in her school year of sheep. Who wanted friends who had egos the size of mars? No doubt this exchange student would take one look at her black clothes and make the same judgements as everyone else: emotionless freak.  
  
She wasn't emotionless, she just didn't see the point of expending the energy everyone else seemed to on emotion when she could put it to good use through meditation.  
  
Looking around the small waiting room outside the Principal's office Raven picked idly at a badge on her bag as she waited for her appointment. She expected the girl was in there now, her 'charge'. It was bad enough her mother had agreed to take in the exchange student for a week but that they had to share a room? Sure she had the extra bed and the extra room and all but...ugh. It was bad enough keeping her brother out of there.   
  
Finally the door of the office opened and the small balding head of Mr. Withers appeared with "Ah, Raven, come in"  
  
Raven huffed her distaste at the overly loud tie he wore over the trim grey suit and followed him inside. Withers took the seat behind his prize king-size desk and indicated a chair in front. In the place next to it Raven eyed the shock of red hair that swung down from the head of her new ball and chain.  
  
"Now Raven I'd like you to meet your exchange student Starfire" Mr Withers adjusted some papers on his desk "She's from England, isn't that nice?"  
  
Raven stared at the girl. It was her worst nightmare. Disgustingly cheerful green eyes sat under a red carpet and above a t-shirt of the worst colour purple Raven had ever seen.   
  
Yet the worst part of it all was the overly loud greeting of "So you are to be my new friend!"  
  
Raven gulped as Starfire jumped up and shook her hand vigorously with cries of "This is wonderful, I am overjoyed to be your exchange student, this will be a wonderful experience for both of use I am sure!"  
  
Mr Withers seemed to have the same expression Raven was sure was plastered on her face as well as he watched the gushing of the girl. Finally he seemed able to speak through the torrents of glad tidings to get out "Excuse me?"  
  
Starfire jumped back and said, "Oh, I am sorry, please continue"  
  
Mr. Withers cleared his throat and said "It is time for third period, now run along or you'll be late for class. I've put you in the same groups for all your lessons. Starfire I hope you enjoy your time here, I'm sure Raven will love having you"  
  
"I'm sure I will" Raven muttered darkly  
  
"Welcome to Gotham High Starfire"  
  
"Thank you very much sir" Starfire grabbed a large, cheerful red backpack off the floor and turned to Raven, "We have science class now do we not? Will you be my partner for experiments?"  
  
Raven stood up slowly and swung her bag onto her back. It was going to be a long day.  
  
* * *  
  
"Is there a gym team? A sports team? A computer team? A science team? A journalism team? A team for watching stars?"   
  
Raven couldn't believe someone could talk for so long without taking a breath as they went through the halls, science had been worse than expected with nothing but a rain of questions being hailed at her. And not just from Starfire, but the other pupils too. Where was this girl from? England? Were all girls from England hot? Do all people from England talk so funny? Thank the world it was lunch already.  
  
Raven rubbed her head, a headache was beginning to form and she still had another week of this girl. She rubbed her pounding temples as Starfire seemed content to read out every sign in the hallway to her and chatter about how different everything was to her home.  
  
"What kind of a name is Starfire anyway?" Raven asked suddenly, breaking through Starfire's never ending talk  
  
Starfire blinked her green orbs and then grinned "A good name"  
  
"Does everyone in your country have weird names?" Raven drawled, checking her watch to see how long lunch would continue to be served  
  
"Actually I am from the planet Ta-"  
  
"Nice outfit Raven, where'd you get it? A trash can?" dripped a poisonous voice  
  
Raven took a deep breath. Her worst nightmare had snuck up on her before she was even prepared. Raven took a long breath before moving 'let it all go, be a stone, no emotion, no anger, no fear, just breathe, a piece of bamboo, in the words of myself: azarath, metreon, zinthos'. Deciding she was ready she turned to the speaker and said nonchalantly "Don't you have somewhere to be? Someone else to torture?"  
  
Tim a.k.a Robin, star of the track team, cocked an eyebrow as he leant against his locker. Surrounded by his crony teammates he looked dwarfed beneath their towering frames and hardly the idol of the schools female population. Shifting his stance off the locker he smoothed his hair easily.  
  
"Raven you know I love our little chats, and I just had to meet your new friend. Well, I was just so amazed to see you with another living thing" Robin adjusted his red and green jacket and sauntered over to Starfire, who looked thoroughly confused and said "Hey, why don't you drop the freak and spend time with someone who's worth it?"   
  
Starfire's look suddenly, at the label attached to her host sister, hardened and she latched onto Raven's arm "I think I will" she turned to Raven "Let's go"  
  
Robin's mouth dropped open "What...?"  
  
Starfire glared at him "You are obviously not worth my time, I do not know who you are but you are obviously a fool if you think I will drop everything for you and before you've even introduced yourself!"  
  
Raven stared as much as Robin did at her exchange student as Starfire dragged her off in the signed direction of the canteen. Raven suddenly felt the day was going a lot better as she glanced back to see Robin backhanding his friend for laughing at him.  
  
"Wow..." Raven said to Starfire as they queued up for food "No one's ever stood up to Robin and his friends like that, except me. But I'm an exception to the rule here. You challenge the social ranks often?"  
  
Starfire smiled and replied, "I do not like people being mean. And he smelled all over of mean" she paused "But I think if his friends were not there he would not do it. I know a lot of people who would do anything to impress their friends"  
  
Raven nodded as she finished with line and began to show Starfire to her usual lunch table "Robin acts up for his friends but then again feels he deserves praise because he's the star of the athletics team. He flies on his feet, just like a Robin. He's a really boy-wonder that one" she sighed, "It seems like all the people who do well in something flock together to be nasty to others. His friend Cyborg is nicer, but still mean when the opportunity arises" she brushed a hair out of her eye as she poked the food on her plate  
  
"Cyborg?" Starfire questioned as she examined her drink carefully  
  
"Yeah" Raven pointed with her fork to a table on the other side of the room, a large guy was slapping Robin on the back as they ate lunch, they seemed nice. Until you met them in person. Cyborg was covered in metal accessories, ear rings, rings. You name it, he had it.   
  
"His real name's not Cyborg, obviously" Raven informed the red head "It's Vic something. Anyway, as I said, he's clever, especially with machines. He's in my maths class"  
  
"And consequently mine!" Starfire smiled widely, and then took a bite of her lunch. Stopping, Starfire paused, tugged a red lock of hair, and then said, "Raven why are you not...well, 'popular'? You are the nicest person I have met on my first day yet you do not sit with others and people do not speak to you"  
  
Raven sighed "Well I don't do what other people do, how am I going to be popular if I do that?"  
  
Starfire nodded understandingly and then stopped what she was doing. Her gaze had halted somewhere above Raven's head. Raven waved a hand in front of her new friend's eyes and then turned around to see what she was looking at.  
  
It was the god of the upper years. Richard, although why he liked his name being shortened to Dick in a high school she did not know.  
  
Raven rolled her eyes. Why did every girl in the school have to like this guy so much? She was sure it was the long black hair and the cool clothes because his looks weren't THAT good (sure they were nice...), but it was like Raven was the only one immune to him.  
  
Starfire had blushed a deep red as he'd walked past with his tray, his hair practically leaving a vapour trail that she was breathing in.  
  
"No"  
  
Starfire shook her head to clear it and stared at Raven, "What?"  
  
"That guy just happens to be Robin's cousin and happens to be too old to even know you exist" Raven replied firmly "It's not as if he doesn't have all the girls around his little finger already. And it seems Robin's taking after him too" she motioned to the crowd of girls that had suddenly surrounded the table where Robin, Dick, Cyborg and their friends were seated  
  
Starfire grinned, "Well if cousins are alike then I do not wish to meet this guy or that Cyborg person. Robin was horrible, I do not want three of them near me. That Robin was mean, spiteful, horrible, uncivilised, rude, conceited and~"  
  
"Hey Raven"   
  
Raven glanced up and back down again to scoop a forkful of beans "Hey BB"  
  
Starfire examined this new person. Leaning on the table was a smart-looking guy with dyed green hair. He looked nice enough, kind of punkish like Raven but less cool to Starfire's eyes, no one could beat her host sister. Raven seemed to be friendly with at least one person in this school then. This BB slammed some wildlife books on the table and pulled up a chair, taking out a box of grapes at the same time.  
  
He offered one to them both and said casually, "So who's your friend Raven?"  
  
Raven introduced Starfire then said "Starfire this is BB, well...we call him Beast Boy because he likes animals so much, don't you Garf?" she knocked the books open to demonstrate the images of giraffes and fish "He's the only other individual in this school of clones"  
  
Beast Boy rolled his eyes and said, "Trust you to think the worst of everyone Raven, Gotham High is NOT that bad, you just make it worse by thinking that way"  
  
"'Not that bad'?" Raven questioned, "Try being picked on by Robin and his team mates everyday THEN say that again"  
  
"He only does it because you're the only one who gives him a good slang match" BB grinned, stuffing a few more grapes into his mouth "So, anyway, are you two going to the athletics competition tonight? Should be fun watching people running around, maybe if we're lucky someone will fall over"  
  
Raven thought about it and was about to refuse when Starfire butted in "That would be wonderful Boy of Beasts! What time does it start?"  
  
Beast Boy grinned, noting Raven's look and replied "5:30, I'm going to see a friend run but if you go it'll be a lot more fun for us all"  
  
Raven sighed as Starfire agreed whole heartedly and said, "I suppose we can come for a little while..." she knew her mother would jump at the chance to make Raven socialise  
  
Starfire grabbed her hand "It will be fun my exchange sister! We can go home and meet your family first and then come back here and make more new friends!"  
  
"That reminds me" Raven said "Where is all your luggage?"  
  
"In the Principal's office, he said I could go back and get it later" Starfire smiled "I am afraid I have rather a lot with me..."  
  
"Girls" Beast boy said, rolling his eyes "The amount of stuff they have to carry..."  
  
Raven and Starfire ignored him and continued to eat.  
  
"Raven do you have shops here? Where can I change my money? I do not think I fit in with your fashion here" Starfire rambled "What do you think of my clothes? Will they be alright? Is the weather hot here? I do not want to be hot. Are the nights cooler? Does your home have air conditioning?"  
  
Raven growled and Starfire took the hint, returning to her yoghurt. Raven sighed, she didn't mean to get annoyed but Starfire...well, she barely knew the girl and she already annoyed her.  
  
"So...I'll see you guys at 5:30?" Beast Boy said, gathering his things  
  
Raven nodded resignedly and Starfire waved Beast Boy off cheerfully as he took off for the library, Raven guessed to do more research on his paper about Gorillas. She smiled at his addiction to wild life, caught herself smiling at something about Beast Boy, and shook her head to put the thought away. Beast boy was a little weird, and anyway, she didn't want to like him THAT way.  
  
"Raven?"  
  
"What?" Raven snapped, she turned around to see, not Starfire calling for attention, but Cyborg  
  
"Hey Raven" he grinned and adjusted a ring casually "I was wondering if you knew if we had math homework for tomorrow?"  
  
Raven frowned "Page 25 E to F, why?"  
  
Cyborg shrugged "I just wondered, saw you and thought 'hey, that chick in black is in my maths class, she'll know the work'. Anyway, so...yeah, I better do that. See you in class Raven and...uh...red head" he walked back to his table and through the flock of girls  
  
Starfire raised an eyebrow "He did not seem mean"  
  
Raven shrugged "Well it...comes and goes" a bell rang somewhere "Hey we better go. After school we'll get your stuff back to my place. If we're going to this sports thing then we'll have dinner early" she stood up "You coming?"  
  
Starfire nodded vigorously and said "Of course best of friends"  
  
Raven rolled her eyes "Good"  
  
* * *  
  
First chapter, hope you liked it! Review please! 


	2. Chapter Two

Thanks you guys who reviewed ^^ I'm sorry if I made any huge mistakes in the last chapter. Hope this one works with it. I'm trying to get into the story as quickly as I can, usually I make too many mistakes with dragging out the setting up part and then losing interest in what I'm writing -_- luckily I have the BRAND NEW series of Teen Titans every day to inspire me. Unfortunately I'm missing the one on Friday ;_; oh well, it'll be repeated!  
  
On to the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any DC characters/stories etc. and I don't own the title to the Guns'n'Roses song 'welcome to the jungle' or whatever ^__^ don't sue me!  
  
* * *  
  
Her mother had been overwhelmed with Starfire's arrival. Raven had expected as much,her mother loved to look after people, even people she had only just met got the treatment Raven had gotten everyday of her life. What thrilled her mother more was that Starfire had brought the family gifts. It seemed Starfire had received more information about her family than Raven had had about Starfire herself.  
  
The gifts weren't much but they seemed to put her mother in the best mood Raven had ever seen her in. An English teacup for her mother, a set of postcards called 'Bridges of Britain' for her father and a box of chocolate for her brother Steve. Raven had to admit the gifts suited each person well.  
  
Starfire's gift to Raven was slightly more extravagant, if slightly eccentric. The red head had brought her new host sister a plant, a rather large plant, in the bottom of her suitcase. It looked like a cactus crossed with a sunflower to Raven and was a bright shade of orange. Raven thanked Starfire and put it on her desk, for all it looked rather too bright for the dark purple coloured room, a colour that Starfire immediately took a shine to.  
  
The phrase Starfire had used to describe her luggage had not done her bags justice. "Rather a lot" to Raven meant two bags, apparently to Starfire it meant five suitcases and a backpack. Trying to get it home by themselves had proved impossible and Raven had enlisted Beast Boy to carry the heaviest case since he was in their direction home anyway.  
  
Raven's room was rather large and had two single beds in. Usually she used the other bed to throw things on and for storage purposes but now it was Starfire's bed away from home. Raven carefully divided shelf and closet space for Starfire's things as they unpacked.  
  
Once Starfire was settled in her home for the duration of her stay, Raven took her downstairs again for a quick dinner before they went out: pizza. It seemed Starfire's eccentricity didn't stay within the realms of gift giving as was proved to Raven when she asked Starfire what pizza toppings she liked.  
  
"Mustard"  
  
Raven stared "Excuse me?"  
  
Starfire grinned and leant on the counter in the kitchen "If you have mustard I like that on pizza, it gives it a nice tang to the flat base of the dish" she stopped "You...do HAVE mustard don't you?"  
  
Raven looked at Starfire in disbelief "We have mustard but...you're sure?"   
  
Starfire nodded her head firmly.  
  
"Well alright" Raven said, unconvinced tugging a strand of hair and got the mustard out of the cupboard "You have strange tastes..."  
  
They arrived at the school after they'd eaten at the same time as Beast Boy, they flagged him down from where he was walking ahead of them and then they all headed over to the sports hall. The sun was warm and the days were long now summer had arrived. It seemed Starfire had never been in such hot weather before though and she flapped her hand uselessly in front of her face under the sunshine, in a silent complaint of the heat.  
  
Beast Boy grinned, "You're late" and shoved a hand through his green hair  
  
"You too" Raven retorted "Where's this thing being held then?" she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and looked around over the school ground  
  
"Big gym" Beast Boy replied, jerking his thumb "They started half an hour ago to do jumps but they should be just about to do running now. I came to see a buddy run so...yeah. Let's go"  
  
"Oh yes" Starfire bounced "Watching people run and sweat a lot is the height of fun"  
  
Raven rolled her eyes. First mustard, now thinking watching people sweat is fun? Her exchange student was a weird girl. The rounded the corner towards the gym and saw a steady stream of people heading in and out, depending on whether they wanted to see the event or not. Raven had had a choice in whether to take part but she really didn't feel like she was talented at any sport that involved physical labour.  
  
They passed through the doors of the gym and through a ring of people that included teachers. Raven threw wave to her math teacher Mr. Wayne and to her science teacher Mr. Kent who nodded as she passed them and a gaggle of teachers, clustered around a coffee machine. She suspected they were here against their will to make sure no student riots kicked off.  
  
After spying her maths teacher she remembered the last term where for some reason every sight of him had made her legs weak. Luckily the emotion had quickly subsided when he had failed three of her tests in a row, it had been partly her fault for not studying but Raven couldn't help inkling he had guessed of her crush and had discreetly tried to sway her off it. Raven was glad that he had as she could hardly believe she had ever felt that way about him, sure he was her favourite teacher but he was, what, 20 years older than her? Raven grimaced at the memory of the period.  
  
The gym was large and a track had been set around the middle while the other events were held in the sunshine, it was thought the air conditioning of the gym would make sure the runners didn't pass out from the heat outside when they were running. Stands had been set up around the edge of the gym and they were filled with students of many different years. Raven spied people she knew and people she didn't milling around the seats for the event to start.  
  
"Hey look, there he is!" Beast Boy said, pointing to the runners lining up on the track  
  
Starfire squinted "Which one is your friend?"  
  
"Can we at least find somewhere to sit?" Raven said, motioning to the stands, full of students cheering on their friends, and began to pick her way along the row to a set of three spare seats as the others followed  
  
"I'm here to see Lighting run" Beast Boy said, pointing to a boy so blonde he could have been white-haired who was lined up ready to run, positioning his feet on the stands  
  
Raven looked down to the field, Lighting was running against five others, including Cyborg, who looked surprisingly naked without his jewellery. They were about to set off, the sports teacher with the whistle signalled to the helpers at the finish line to get ready, and put the whistle to his lips.  
  
Raven couldn't help it, the competitive aspect of the thing was getting to her as the teenagers around her yelled encouragement to the runners. She knew both Lightning and Cyborg were great athletes and was keen to see who would win between the two. The other competitors didn't stand a chance.  
  
And they were off.  
  
"Raven" Starfire poked Raven in the ribs, Raven ignored her and Starfire poked her again  
  
Raven looked at her "What?" she snapped "And don't tap me!"  
  
Starfire shifted uncomfortable "I am in need of..."  
  
Raven looked back to the track, Cyborg and Lightning were neck and neck, almost finished with the first lap, two more to go. It seemed close.  
  
"What? In need of what?" Raven continued   
  
Starfire lowered her voice beneath the shouts of Beast Boy and the other crowd members "The toilet"  
  
Raven sighed, she supposed it was her duty to look after the girl, especially on her first day, but she really wanted to see this race "Why didn't you go before we left? Can't it wait?"  
  
Starfire shook her head "Please?"  
  
Raven growled under her breath and stood up "Beast Boy we're going to the bathroom"  
  
Beast Boy looked up, back at the race and said "I may as well go with you, I'll meet Lightning when he goes back to the locker room. I'll either congratulate him or comfort him depending on how he looks, I don't need to see the race"  
  
Raven stared at his attitude, then shrugged, taking one last look at the race (Cyborg was just ahead of Lightening) and started to pick her way down the benches and through the people, trying to avoid stepping on people. They reached the ground and headed into the network of corridors that spread out between school buildings and towards the locker rooms.   
  
They split up at the two rooms with the promise to meet up later, and vanished into the gender divided areas. Raven showed Starfire into the toilets and stood back on the wall to wait. The school was quiet, eerie when you were only in school when noise racked the building and shook the foundations from the students.  
  
Starfire, after castigating Raven for listening to her pee, appeared to wash her hands "Your school is scary when no one is here"  
  
"Well you know they are here" Raven pointed out "Just not around here"  
  
"Yes well..." Starfire said, drying her hands "It just seems scary..."  
  
"I know" Raven muttered, her stomach had a strange sinking feeling in it, like something wasn't right "Let's get back"  
  
They turned towards the exit when several loud bangs ruptured the quiet. The two girls screamed and ducked from the noise, as if it would protect their ears. Raven shot back up to full height and listened carefully, what was going on?  
  
"Raven your school has scary noises! I do not like it" Starfire gushed, grabbing Raven's hand  
  
"That sound was not normal" Raven told the girl "It sounded like...gun shots, but...Let's go look"  
  
She tugged Starfire up and pulled her to the door, opening it carefully she shut it abruptly. There had been screams out there. She was certain. Coming from the gym. The sudden urge to run hard and fast out of the school hit her and she had to take several deep breaths to calm her nerves before taking another peak out of the locker door, motioning for Starfire to keep back.  
  
Raven pulled the door open a small way and peaked around the corner. The doors down each end of the corridor were shut, that was strange, they had been open earlier. The noises from the gym were disturbing, screams and loud bangs, the gun shots cracked again and Raven couldn't help jumping at each one. What was going on?  
  
Raven shut the door again and looked at Starfire, the red head looked about to cry, Raven didn't feel much better. What could they do? She didn't want to see what was going on out there, that was for certain.   
  
She opened the door a crack again and scanned the area outside the locker rooms. Where was Beast Boy, he'd been in the boys locker room hadn't he?  
  
Suddenly footsteps sounded from the direction of the gym, Raven's eyes widened as two huge men in dark clothing rounded the corner, each carrying what looked like large machine guns. They were huge, each with rounds of ammunition wrapped around their waists to supply their monsters. With horror she watched as they began to open each room along the corridor, the store rooms, staff room, opening the door of each room they would disappear into them for a second before coming out.  
  
Now she knew why the doors were shut at the end of the corridors. They were to stop people getting out.  
  
Raven pulled back into the girl's locker room, shutting the door as quietly as she could. Grabbing Starfire's arm she dragged the girl to the back of the room and started searching for a place large enough for them. She felt sick.  
  
They were looking for people.  
  
Panic gripped her as she could find no suitable place for them to hide, and she could just imagine the men outside the door, them opening the door and drawing their guns...What could they possibly want in a school?  
  
"Raven what is the matter? What were those noises? I am frightened" Starfire was whispering hurriedly, sensing Raven's mood "Tell me what you saw"  
  
"OK" Raven said, spying the doors to the toilets "There are two huge men out there with guns going to every room looking for people"  
  
"WHAT?" Starfire screeched  
  
Raven clamped a hand down on Starfire's mouth "Please, we don't have much time and if we panic then we are doomed"  
  
She pulled Starfire back into the toilets and pushed her towards the cubicle at the end of the row and went into the one next to it. Starfire squealed as the door slammed behind her.  
  
"Starfire, stand on the toilet and shut up. Something's happening out there and I don't think those men with the guns are friendly, now do it" Raven hissed  
  
They had just got on top of the seats when they heard the door to the locker room squeak open. Raven heard the heavy footsteps of the men and inwardly began to pray to whatever gods she knew of to get them through this. She heard Starfire stifle a sob and added a prayer on top of the previous ones to make Starfire not give them away.  
  
Poor Starfire, first day in a new country and this happened. And just what was happening? Raven felt fear begin to panic her again and felt it begin to seep into her common sense.  
  
"Find anything?"  
  
Raven froze as the men entered the toilets. Part of her was amazed at the absurdity of men in a girl's locker room as the other part of screamed fear and panic.   
  
The man's voice was as deep and gravely as she expected him to be when she had seen the pair and the reply of his companion was just as she expected, rough and mean sounding. They sounded to Raven like they'd have no problem using their weapons on people who couldn't defend themselves.  
  
"Nothing, they must've all been in that gym or that group we rounded up outside" he paused "Let's check the boys"  
  
"The boss better know what he's doing" a disgruntled mutter came  
  
"He's trying to get rich, and we're getting paid" came the reply "Check those toilets, you never know. Let's just hope the big bat doesn't spoil the plan"  
  
Raven's breath caught in her chest and she swore her heart was beating ten times louder than it should have when the toiler doors at the end of the row began to be kicked in and searched. The next one, and the next one, and the next one. The cubicles being searched were getting closer and closer.  
  
How could they hide if the door was about to be kicked in? The door two cubicles along was kicked in and Raven squeezed her eyes shut. This was it.  
  
* * * 


	3. Chapter Three

Sorry for the long wait guys, I got writers block and hundred exams toppled on to me like bricks! Sorry, here's the next chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans!p  
  
How could they hide if the door was about to be kicked in? The door two cubicles along was kicked in and Raven squeezed her eyes shut. This was it.  
  
"Quit it, no one's here, we're wasting time and you're giving me a headache" the first voice said, his whine betraying his boredom "Let's check the guys locker room"  
  
"Fine"  
  
Raven almost died in relief as she heard their footsteps recede. Her legs felt weak and it was all she could do to prop herself up on the cubicle walls and toilet and keep quiet until she heard the door finally swing shut. She waited a moment before letting out a sigh of relief, which, she was horrified to find, emerged as a rather loud sob.  
  
She'd never cried at school, not even when Robin's bullying was at it's worst.  
  
"Raven?" Starfire's voice squeaked from the other side of the cubicle and a handful of toilet paper shoved through under the side of the wall  
  
Raven smiled and reached down to the tissue "Thanks" she croaked  
  
She emerged from her cubicle and opened the door to Starfire's cubicle "They've gone" she whispered, as if they were still hiding  
  
"Yes" Starfire looked around the locker room "We must go, it is not safe in this building"  
  
"Where do we go?" Raven demanded, "They're looking for people, the doors are sealed. They were talking about money; maybe they're using the school as a ransom. We can't get out"  
  
Starfire crossed her arms "The situation is not hopeless" she said with conviction "We must find a way to summon the police forces to your school. We must signal for this Bat"  
  
"Batman." Raven corrected, "Those guys said they didn't want him to spoil the plan. If we get the police maybe he'll show up too. But…how do we do it?"  
  
Starfire frowned "We must get out of this room for a start" she looked towards the door on the other side of the room past the lockers and began to go towards it  
  
Raven grabbed her arm "We don't know what's out there"  
  
"We do" Starfire said, gripping Raven's hand "Men with guns. Avoid them and we will be safe. They took 5 minutes or less to check this room did they not?" Raven nodded "Then it will be the same time for the boys locker room, which is the last room on this corridor. We give them an amount of time to finish their search and move on to the next corridor. Then we can move"  
  
Raven had to admit that it sounded like a good plan. But they were teenagers? How could they stand up to men who looked around twice their age and carried weapons that could rip them to shreds in seconds. Raven wiped sweaty palms on her trousers and sighed, she was shaking, what if they got killed? Images of the people in her school who she saw everyday flashed into her head.  
  
They were in danger. As much as she hated them sometimes, she couldn't let them die.   
  
She nodded "Let's do it but…move where?"  
  
"To the nearest phone" she paused, then Starfire smiled grimly "I have not been in a situation where I could die before…"  
  
"You've travelled in a car before haven't you?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Well then" Raven looked at her watch "Five minutes right? Let's start counting"  
  
The minutes passed like hours and Raven found herself listening for every small movement in the hall. Every sound was a potential threat. Starfire began to pace quietly, catlike, as the tension began to get to her. In the end Raven had to stop her because she was making the wait worse.  
  
Finally, after a century of waiting, the five minutes were up. Raven listened carefully and assumed the mutterings outside the door and the soft pads of shoes were the guards leaving the boys locker room. She waited until they had faded completely and looked at Star.  
  
"Let's do this" she said firmly  
  
Starfire nodded.  
  
They opened the door slowly. Nothing, Raven heaved a sigh of relief and opened the door wider. Still nothing. She edged out into the hallway quietly and signalled for Starfire to follow her. The red head pulled out into the corridor and gently shut the locker room door before edging down the hall. Raven set off after her.  
  
She had no idea where they were going but it was better than waiting in the locker room for a rescue which would never come if they didn't get some sort of signal out.  
  
She could hear noise and shouting from the hall, a low rumble of voices and then a yell and all was silent again. Raven was glad there were no more gunshots.  
  
Starfire reached the next door along as Raven caught up to her. She felt as if her heart was going to burst standing out in the corridor like this. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face as Starfire continued to move.  
  
Then Starfire was gone and a yell broke the quiet. Raven felt as if she had just had a heart attack as she dove around the doorway to find Starfire being wrestled by several large figures and holding her own.  
  
"Cyborg!" Raven gasped  
  
The figures stopped tumbling and looked up, Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg gaped at Raven and then did a double take at a cursing Starfire before letting go.  
  
"Well look who it is" Robin smirked nastily   
  
"Just what I need" Raven spat  
  
Robin got up and they faced each other off dangerously.  
  
A burst of yells and gunshot flew around the corridor and a yell of "It came from back here!" brought the two back to their senses. They paled.  
  
"Come on" Cyborg snapped, "No time for this crap, we gotta hide again or we're dead"  
  
A loud crash outside confirmed that and they scrambled off the floor.  
  



	4. Chapter Four

Another short chapter I'm afraid guys! Sorry, I can't get into this story at the moment, but here's a new part anyway. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or any DC stuff.  
  
"Well look who it is" Robin smirked nastily   
  
"Just what I need" Raven spat  
  
Robin got up and they faced each other off dangerously.  
  
A burst of yells and gunshot flew around the corridor and a yell of "It came from back here!" brought the two back to their senses. They paled.  
  
"Come on" Cyborg snapped, "No time for this crap, we gotta hide again or we're dead"  
  
A loud crash outside confirmed that and they scrambled off the floor.   
  
Cyborg practically grabbed Raven by the scruff of her neck and tossed her on top of a row of lockers, following the movement swiftly by doing the same to Starfire. That being done, the boys shot off into the bowels of the locker room and few clangs before the room fell silent for the door bashing open.  
  
Five men came in with large guns. Raven had never seen so many guns in one place outside the shop where her uncle had brought his shotgun. And these guns were far nastier. Two of the guys had large knives strapped to their waists as well as the men each carrying a walkie talkie.   
  
"That's it, there are definitely kids running around this place" the largest growled, he signalled to the others and they began to prowl around the room  
  
Raven held her breath, she felt Starfire move the locker ever so slightly by moving her foot. It wasn't safe, if they move even a little the lockers would come crashing down and give them away.   
  
"Well if there are we need to see if they got an S.O.S out" a small gruff man muttered beneath Raven "If they got a message out we need to move quickly"  
  
"Moving quickly?" the first guy sneered "We move any quicker and all the hostages will be dead before we get any money"  
  
Raven gasped and the guy beneath her jerked his head at the noise, he looked around him and moved a little way away. She prayed that he wouldn't look up.  
  
"Anyone hear that?" he yelled to the others  
  
"No"  
  
The guy shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.  
  
The largest man who had spoken first seemed to be the leader, Raven jumped as he boomed "There's no one here! The scream must've been somewhere else. We're wasting time in here"  
  
She heard murmured agreement with the others and the troop headed out, one guy casting a last look around before kicking the door shut.  
  
They heard one say loudly in the corridor as they left "When are we going to start killing the hostages?"  
  
"Soon" came the reply  
  
Silence.  
  
Starfire sighed heavily and Raven began to hear movements from within the room and before long the boys appeared. Beast boy held his hand up to Raven and she jumped down, helping Starfire to do the same. She sighed, this day was going just so well. She caught Robin's eye, and it was going to get even better.  
  
"Where did you hide?" Starfire asked Beast Boy "We could not even see you"  
  
Cyborg grinned and high fived Beast Boy "Luckily when guys want to get out of gym class they GET out of gym class"  
  
The guys lead them around to the back of the room where the back wall was and Starfire and Raven watched open mouthed as Cyborg pulled on a pipe which came out as a large rectangular piece of wall came away to reveal a small closet sized area behind it. Usage was shown by the litter of magazines and torch.  
  
"And HOW did this get here?" Raven demanded   
  
Cyborg laughed "I'm not a technical genius for nothing you know, I um…accidentally knocked Robin into the wall last term and he…um…went right through" he eyed the wall "Shoddy building if you ask me, anyway, turns out this area was left back here, so we just covered it with lockers for a few days while we all pitched in to build a false wall for it" he grinned "And it's been in usage every gym period since"  
  
Starfire grinned widely "A marvellous plan" the smile faded "Yet it will not help us for long in a situation such as this"  
  
Beast Boy sighed "The school is in a hostage situation, the captors have guns, no sign of the police, no sign of Batman and they're going to find us soon! What are we going to do?"  
  
Starfire put her hand on beast Boy's shoulder and said calmly "Do no worry, Raven and I have thought of a plan"  
  
The guys stared "Really?" Robin asked incredulously "Raven actually THOUGHT?"  
  
Raven scowled "Of course that sounds amazing for someone like you Robin who has never in his life had a thought that doesn't include himself, but some of us actually do have a brain bigger than a peanut"  
  
Robin growled and moved forward before Cyborg held him back with a snap of "Stop it you two or we're dead" he looked towards Starfire, "What's this plan?"  
  
"Find the nearest phone and phone the police," Starfire announced triumphantly  
  
"You're kidding" Beast Boy said, "That's it?"  
  
Starfire looked offended "Why?"  
  
"It's just…so simple" Beast Boy replied, scratching his head "The nearest phone is in the gym office" he paled "On the other side of the building…"  
  
"Which means we have to go past those guys" Robin finished, he punched his hand together "Alright, a challenge"  
  
Starfire nodded "That's the spirit" she smiled widely at Robin who nodded briskly  
  
Raven stared, had she just seen the tiniest hint of colour rise up in Robin's face? Surely not. She had never in her life seen anyone do that, all the girls had been under his spell. Raven had suspected he'd never really liked any one of the number of girl he had dated, he'd never kept any longer than a month. And none of the girls had ever made him blush with a smile, he'd always been the cool one to ask them out.  
  
Raven was determined to watch this now.  
  
"I got a new plan guys" Cyborg announced, rubbing his hands in glee "How about we make things difficult for our hijackers before the cops get here, like maybe taking some of those guards and guns out?"  
  
The other stared "How are we going to do that?" Robin asked in disbelief "They're armed to the teeth and we have, what, baseball bats?"  
  
Cyborg nodded "Exactly" he paused "We make a disturbance, nothing to loud so they only send a few guys around to check the place out. We knock the guys out, take their weapons, tie them up, and when we've done this it ought to create a free path around the building to the phone. Or at least take enough out that are buddies in the hall can overthrow them"  
  
The others were quiet for a moment. Contemplating the new idea.  
  
"If we use that plan" Beast Boy said quietly "We're more likely to die, aren't we?"  
  
The others nodded and Cyborg sighed, "They're going to kill us probably anyway if we're not saved. Who knows if people aren't dead already, you all heard the gunshots. But if we can save at least one person, isn't that worth it?"  
  
The others said nothing, looking at each other nervously. They all looked pale and trying to see what the others would say before giving their own reply.  
  
Cyborg looked at each in turn and said firmly "If you're going to take part put up your hand now, I'm going to tell you that even if you don't, I'm going to whatever I can to help those people" he put up his hand "Now, if you wanna help, now's the time to say"  
  
Silence.  
  
Then, slowly, Starfire put up her hand and smiled softly at Cyborg "I wish to help you" she said quietly, Cyborg nodded  
  
Raven shrugged and put up her hand. If Starfire would be risking her life, she had to also. Not to mention her mum would kill her if she found out she didn't look after Starfire on her first day.  
  
Robin scowled at Raven and fiercly put up his hand, taking her agreement as a challenge to his courage. Raven decided she would have to tell him one day that she wasn't challenging him and it was all in his mind.  
  
Beast Boy looked around at the group and swallowed, running a hand through his hair before raising it reluctantly "Can't have you guys taking all the fun now can I?"  
  



	5. Chapter Five

Bleh. Suffering from terriable writer's block in prose writing of any sort. not good considering I have some to do for school also. groan. Anyway thansk for your reviews, they make me happy! Um, some messages:  
  
Raven is a little out of character for this fic, but without any powers to keep control over with emotions she can afford to feel things can't she? She's not going to blow people up by snapping anymore so I can give her some more emotions than she's allowed. Anyway, brought up differently to animation Raven she is different anyway.   
  
Um...Raven and Robin...? Well I don't like appealing to readers on pairings, I don't think it's particularly a good way to draw readers in. I mean, I don't want to gain reviews because people like the pairings. I think you can like a fic even if you don't like the pairing. If your pairings aren't used in this story please don't think bad of it. It's not as if they really show up in the series anyway most of the time. I think most of you have guessed the pairings now anyway so...I hope they turn out ok. I'm not going for a whole big romance thing anyway, they're teenagers! They aren't ready for the heavy stuff :P but you never know! Maybe I'll throw some fluff in for you ;;;;; Anyway, pairings are never 100% certain so never judge a fic on it's pairings!  
  
Um...that's my pairings rant done   
  
Disclaimer: Don't own any DC characters.  
  
Raven waited with baited breath as she watched Cyborg pull open the locker room door slowly, peeking around the corner and beckoning them forward behind him. Each watching his or her's steps on the polished floor of the corridor they crept out on.   
  
Beast Boy let the door shut slowly behind him, brining it gently to rest with not so much as a squeak on its frame. He threw the rest a thumbs up signal.  
  
Starfire next to Raven breathed a sigh of relief and they all turned to Cyborg bravely. He looked pale. Starfire grabbed Raven's hand tightly and Raven had to stop herself complaining at the tightness of the grip. The next part of the plan was what they were all dreading. Cyborg most of all.  
  
Cyborg visibly gulped and pointed down one end of the white-washed wall to the direction of where they knew was the gym teacher office. And the phone. Whether or not it was working or not would be the next step. He then pointed at a small cupboard on the side of the hall a little way to the left: the sports equipment locker.  
  
Slowly Cyborg showed them all a crowbar he had kept inside his jacket. Beast Boy spluttered at the fact he'd had one their at all but had kept quiet. There was a dull murmur from the gym hall that meant they had at least a bit of cover for the noise about to be made.  
  
Cyborg took a deep breath, Robin clapped him on the shoulder and went to stand a little way down the hall as lookout, Raven nodded to him and, after extracting her hand from Starfire's, took the other end as a lookout. She watched as Cyborg slid towards the equipment storage locker. She saw Starfire wringing her hands as she watched Cyborg measure up the padlock fitted onto the locker, Raven held her breath as Cyborg lifted the crow bar over the padlock.  
  
He paused. Raven heard her heartbeat in her ears as he raised it and brought it down on the padlock. The resulting crack and fall of the padlock created a pool of silence in its wake. They all froze, listening; this was the make or break point of the plan it seemed.   
  
Nothing.  
  
The occupants of the hall all phsycially sagged with relief at the event and Cyborg tugged the remainder of the broken padlock off the door and tucked it into his pocket before tugging open the cupboard and flicking the light switch.  
  
The two lookouts swung a quick look around before joining the others in the doorway, to survey the mass amount of sporting equipment. From bats to balls everything the school used for gym was stored in this long thin room. They group moved inside it and began to pick out the most damage inflicting pieces.  
  
The froze as two gunshots pierced the air. Starfire closed her eyes as if it would block the sound out. No one spoke. No one moved.   
  
Cyborg pulled the door to gently and whispered, "I'm changing the plan slightly"  
  
"What?" Robin asked through clenching his jaw "Why?"  
  
"Because I've thought of one which will be quicker to act upon" he replied before he frowned "I'm going to draw their attention and I want you to make a break for the office" he thrust the crowbar into Robin's hands "You have to get a signal out"  
  
Raven said quietly "The other plan was safer"  
  
Cyborg hissed through gritted teeth "Because who knows how many are dead, you just heard that shot! They're not waiting for the cops to give them their demands! They could have killed our friends with those shots! We need to sound the alarm NOW!" he took a deep breath and picked up a baseball bat "Take what you think will inflict the most damage and go when you hear a lot of noise" he moved towards the door  
  
"Wait" Robin grabbed his arm and picked up his own bat "I'm coming with you"  
  
Cyborg shook his head "You need to go with the others and help Beast Boy look after the girls"  
  
"We do not need looking after," Starfire whispered indignantly   
  
Robin looked away for a minute before gripping Cyborg's arm, and Raven was surprised to see him scrub a stray tear away widely before looking up at his friend "Don't die out there buddy"  
  
Cyborg grinned, "I don't plan to"  
  
Beast Boy made an uncomfortable noise before saying quickly "Cyborg I well…we haven't been the best of friends but…be careful ok?"  
  
Cyborg nodded before replying with a wink "Look after your girl" to which both Beast Boy and Raven turned deep scarlet  
  
He looked at the others and closed his eyes for a moment, as if praying, and moved out into the corridor. The followed him out and watched as for the second time he pointed towards the corridor to the office. He saluted them and adjusted his grip on the bat, moving off down the corridor to the entrance to the hall. He looked back and waved them off.  
  
The group wavered.   
  
Cyborg stopped before stepping out into the bright light flooding down into the slighter darker hall. For a moment nothing happened and then he drew a deep breath and yelled "HEY HIJACKERS! YOU GOT EVERYBODY THERE?"  
  
Raven suddenly realised what they were doing and, grabbing her own bat, hissed at the others "Come on!" and pulled them away into a sprint as a series of yells filled the corridor behind them  
  
Robin hesitated only a moment before following, his jacket spread behind him like a cape. Slipping as they rounded the corner on the polished floor they heard a stampede in the other corridor and realised Cyborg was leading the men in the opposite direction to them.   
  
The new corridor was around 90 meters in length with the office right in the middle. They saw it and charged on, despite the noise behind them. There seemed to be uproar in the gym, hundreds of voices yelling and bellows of the captors over the top.  
  
They were nearing the door when a noise they dreaded rang out.  
  
Gunshots.  
  
Several in succession.  
  
Robin skidded to a halt and made to go back up the hallway.   
  
"NO!" Beast Boy yelled and grabbed Robin's jacket "We can't, they'll get us too!"  
  
"What if he's hurt? We can't just leave him!" Robin snapped back, struggling against Beast Boy's grip  
  
"He took that risk!" Beast Boy retorted, "To give us a chance. Now go!"  
  
They reached the door and scrabbling to open it, realising it was locked as tight as it could be without the door being made of metal. Starfire twisted the doorknob to no avail as the noise in the building began to die down "No, no, no" she hissed at the door and tried to knock it with her shoulder "Just open!"   
  
Raven felt Starfire's panic next to her begin to catch to her and the boys as the noises were replaced with a hushed tone in the hall and, to her horror, the distinct sound of men patrolling the halls for more trouble.  
  
"Starfire come on!" she seethed, tapping her foot  
  
"Out of the way" Robin snapped and began to bash at the handle with crowbar inherited from Cyborg, it fell off under the pressure and Robin deftly pushed the other side's handle off too, the door swung open easily.  
  
"Done that before?" Beast Boy muttered  
  
Robin ignored him "Get inside, they're just round the corner"  
  
"What about you?" Starfire said worriedly as the others hurried into the office  
  
"Someone's got to draw them off" he said "You need to get help" he pushed her towards the door  
  
"But"  
  
"JUST GO" he pushed her hard into the room and pulled the door shut after kicking the handles in too to delay the discovery  
  
Beast Boy pulled the girls over to the gym teacher desks before crouching underneath them to hide. 


	6. Chapter Six

Thanks for waiting so long, major writers block, so another short chapter! I'm also considering taking down this story…I didn't realize how touchy a subject this was (though I really should of) and recently there was the siege of a school in…Russia was it? Which was all over the news and a lot of small kids died etc. and…I dunno. If you think I should continue, please say so in your review.  
  
ANYWAY I have no concrete plans to discontinue this fic, I intend to finish it, I just have some worries…but NO WORRIES! Let's get this show on the road shall we?  
  
Please review!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans!

**CHAPTER SIX**

Beast Boy pulled a chair under the desk to make them less conspicuous and signalled to them to keep quiet. Raven felt doubt seeping into her mind as she heard the class outside.  
  
"Get him!"  
  
"Take this" Robin yelled and they heard several sounds of metal hitting flesh and the sound of activity, a gun shot off and they heard the clatter as the gun hit the floor and skidded.  
  
"Is that all you got?" Robin mocked, they heard the crowbar hit something and a yell let them know with a crunch that something had been broken  
  
Raven shook her head, this wasn't going to work. They were going to be caught. She pushed the chair out at beast Boy's protest and scanned the room for something, anything, to help them. Her eyes locked on an air vent, it was quite big as the gym needed more conditioning and heating than the other buildings. It was perfect for someone skinny…  
  
"Ha, not so tough now are you kid?"  
  
Raven spun to see the silhouettes on the frosted office window door, a man tackled Robin while another threw a punch into his stomach. Raven heard Starfire sniffing quietly. Beast Boy scrambled up and stood next to Raven.  
  
"What are you doing?" he hissed  
  
"Look up there" Raven pushed a chair to the wall and pulled open the vent's grate "Someone can get through here"  
  
"What?" Beast Boy asked "Come on, hide, we'll be caught unless we hide"  
  
Raven sighed and clambered down off the chair, pushing dark hair out of her eyes "Beast Boy, you know as well as I do we're not going to be caught anyway. You're the smallest out of me and Starfire and probably the lightest too…"  
  
Beast Boy looked up at the vent "You can't mean…" he shook his head "I don't want to leave you guys"  
  
The sounds of the fight outside were quieting and they heard the sounds of Robin loosing as more and more assaults hit their target and more and more of his went off.  
  
Raven grabbed Beast Boy's arm and tugged him "Please, you have to summon the police, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, ANYONE!" she pushed him harder "You have to save us all"  
  
Beast Boy looked at the vent and then jumped as they heard Robin being flung against the wall of the office, he was being beaten up while he was deciding. Beast Boy's face hardened in resolve at that sound and he nodded. He smiled at Starfire, quietly crying, under the table and looked at Raven.  
  
They heard Robin cry out and it seemed the fight was finally over.  
  
Beast Boy swallowed seemingly at a loss for words before he whispered, "Don't die on me Rave" he paused "You know…you're the coolest girl I know" he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently  
  
Raven bit her lip and nodded before helping him up onto the chair and boosting him through the small gap into the vent. She watched his feet disappear into the gloom and replaced the lid on the vent, pushing the chair into a random corner to hide the route taken. She dived under the table as the door was smashed in.  
  
Starfire and Raven pulled their ands away as shards of glass from the window flew underneath the gap in the desk, Raven gasped as her hands were slashed cruelly by a flying piece of glass and waited as the shadows of two huge men with guns were thrown into relief on the wall ahead of her.  
  
She saw Starfire close her eyes and take a deep breath.  
  
This was it she thought. They were caught. The last thing she remembered before black was the desk pulled back and the butt of a gun flying towards her.  
  
Pain, which was the first thing she awoke to, was not pleasant to awaken to. A fierce pain in her head, she groaned and grabbed her head as the more she woke up the more it hurt. Opening her eyes she met the sight of her hand pulling back to show a stain of drying blood. Touching her head again she found that it was hers. She groaned again and tried to sit up.  
  
Hands forced her back down "Now, now, now, no reason to rush"  
  
Raven looked up and met with the eyes of a large burly man with large curls of black hair and dressed in black. He carried a semi-automatic machine gun around his chest and his sunglasses hid his eyes which undoubtedly would have been brown to match his skin tone. His hands were rough and where they held her down small rivers of pain were seeping into her shoulder from pressure.  
  
Raven said nothing and looked around further. She was in the gym, all around her were crowds and crowds of students. Most she didn't know but a few gave her small nervous smiles. She blinked again. Where was Starfire?  
  
The man pulled his hands away and Raven pushed herself up a little to give herself more height to gaze around with.  
  
She saw a group of teachers surrounded by more men than the students, perhaps they were seen as more of a threat, she saw Mr. Wayne sporting a black away a collection of bruises on his face where he'd made an attempt at heroics. Several other teachers, mainly male, also sported signs they'd joined him.  
  
All in all there were around 300 captives in the gym, the usual number who attended the athletics meet. No bodies. Yet. There were around 25 men with guns.  
  
Suddenly she caught sight of a crop of red hair and saw Starfire around 15 feet away, seemingly alive and well but with her back to Raven so she couldn't tell exactly.  
  
"I'm actually impressed with you kids" a voice rang out across the hall, a thick Metropolis accent "You've been pretty good at hiding"  
  
"Yeah well" Raven shot up to look around at Cyborg's voice  
  
In the far corner of the room Raven saw over the heads of the students Cyborg lying on the floor, clutching his leg and staring up into the face of someone.  
  
'The Boss'  
  
Standing at six feet with short hair of bright platinum he was one of the most beautiful men Raven had ever seen, dressed all in black like the others he oozed authority from his superior weaponry to his stance as a whole. The others were lackeys, this guy…if he had ever been called a lackey he probably would have shot the guy who said it on sight.  
  
Cyborg looked worse for wear, pale and panting he was clutching what looked like a bullet wound in his thigh, he gripped it tightly but it didn't stop blood seeping through. Raven felt sick at the sight, he was losing a lot of blood. Robin was dumped next to him, not bleeding but he sported a black eye and a puffy lip as well as looking wiped out underneath a collection of cuts and bruises.  
  
A hand roughly grabbed Raven's arm and hauled her up, Raven reeled as the room spun once or twice. The arm held her steady and then her captor pulled her across the room to where her friends were on the floor, he pushed her down to the floor and Raven looked up at the huge Boss.  
  
"Well one, two, three, four of you managed to evade my men. As I said before, impressive" he smiled "However, you obviously didn't keep up the effort"  
  
His watch beeped and he looked at it briefly before calling to his chief henchman "McNeil it's time, get the phone and film equipment set up, we're going to have to call out to the news networks in a few minutes and start the show" he grinned  
  
McNeil nodded and moved over to a few black bags and began, with the help of his men to unload equipment. Raven guessed they were going to broadcast the hostage situation out and panic the authorities by it being aired on the news.  
  
Boss turned his attention back to his captives "Ladies and gentlemen I am glad to say after all your efforts to slow us down we are finally back on track to broadcast what I'm sure will be an award winning show. In less than 5 minutes we'll be live on TV with you all, isn't that great? You'll be famous!"  
  
Raven looked around the room, people looked terrified, and she didn't blame them. She felt sick herself, the left over grogginess from the bruise on the back of her head didn't help her nausea. She looked to Robin and Cyborg, worried for her friends. Starfire was finally in a position to catch Raven's eyes and smiled feebly, she had a single long scratch along her eyebrow but seemed to have fared the best out of the four. Raven prayed Beastboy was safely out and getting help.  
  
But help would help too much if they started killing hostages. Raven gulped. She looked back to Robin and Cyborg, Cyborg couldn't do anything, and he was bleeding out. He needed medical attention. Surely the teachers could help him. Robin himself was right in front of the boss, maybe if they took him out they could panic the other men. Without a leader maybe they'd give up. Wouldn't they?  
  
Raven couldn't think, the situation was so surreal, a few hours ago she'd been annoyed at Starfire being dumped on her, now she was in a life or death situation and had even been helped by her worst enemy.  
  
Raven looked around again desperately. Her eyes fell on a bag near her left side, many of the students had been carrying bags to the event, for accessories, phones and whatever else the student body relied upon in this day and age, they hadn't been taken away from the students. Raven guessed mobile phones had though, in case of rebellion. It seemed to her though from the scene that the majority of students had forgotten their bags in panic and left them lying around. She studied the bag next to her with a sideways glance. If this was a chance she wasn't going to screw it up by moving to fast. Looking around as if to find something and to distract anyone watching her by itching her head, Raven slid her left hand slowly toward the bag and grabbed the shoulder strap closest to her. It was heavy, no movement for a moment, before finally inching its way in her general direction silently.  
  
Raven dared not move fast, she closed her eyes to avoid seeing anything go wrong as she continued on her mission, the finally felt the bulk of the backpack snug against her leg after what seemed forever and opened her eyes to look down. The bag was open but nothing in view on the inside; carefully she nudged folds of cloth out of the way to view her haul. Shorts, socks, small can of hairspray, comb, brush, make-up, cigarettes, lighter and a comic book. Whoever owned the bag had been well prepared it seemed. She hoped he or she wasn't too nicotine deprived.  
  
She looked at the contents, willing an idea to jump out at her. A noise caught her attention and she looked up. They were preparing to broadcast, the Boss was aiming the camera in a certain direction, like a movie-maker searching for the perfect shot, and then moving back in to position to check with the guy filming a good view was had. It was prime time TV after all.  
  
Raven briefly wondered what their demands were going to be and suppressed her panic before turning back to the bag. How could this be of any use to her? She stared blankly at the items…the lighter. She picked it up gently and slid it into her pocket before turning back to the bag. She remembered that once she had seen some boys were playing with hairspray and a lighter…making it light up. Raven suppressed another urge, this time to grin, as she picked up her second treasured item and slid it in her pocket next to her lighter.  
  
Somehow now with these two small items so essential in life to many students she felt at least a bit more prepared for something that would come her way.  
  
"START TRANSMISSION"  
  
Even so, Raven thought, this moment had come too soon.


End file.
